A Rolling Picnic for Two

Perhaps it's a bit of an oversimplification, but there's definitely some truth in saying that endurance cycling is about two things: 1) being reasonably fit, and 2) eating and drinking the right things non-stop for the duration of the course. Another truth is that variety is key to eating when you don't feel like eating (but must).

In both training for the ride and during the race, we spent more time thinking about and experimenting with our food/drink choices than we did our training approach. Below are the things we discovered to be both delicious, effective, and that didn't make us sick.

Pre-Ride Goodness (Breakfast before you get in the saddle):

• Drew's favorite is cinnamon french toast (just a touch of cayenne) with banana.
• Becky's was sourdough toast with fried eggs.
• Both - fresh peaches.

During the ride/race:

• Honey stinger waffles - gingersnap and vanilla flavors are top picks. Caramel is also awesome.
• Salted caramel GU
• Salted watermelon GU
• Banilla Bean GU
• Acai Pomagranete honey stinger gel
• Fig bars (Fig newton style, but without all the preservatives and junk)
• PRO Bar strawberry chews
• Salt and Pepper potatoes (skinned, cubed and boiled)
• PB&J sandwiches on the bike, Turkey sandwiches at stops (Drew... Becky didn't really care for either)
• Apple Pie Lara bars
• Cherry Chocolate Lara bars
• Chocolate walnut Kit bar (one of Becky's favorites - just like a brownie
• Kiwi Strawberry honey stinger chews (good for shorter rides, a little over the top flavor wise for long rides)
• Peaches
• Bananas
• Gummy bears

Electrolytes:

EFS is where it's at! The stuff is awesome! Preferred flavors are alternating orange and lime while riding and chugging fruit punch at stops. Becky was getting nauseous around mile 175, so she forced down about 18 oz of EFS and felt great the rest of the way to the finish.

DO NOT Eats and Drinks:

• Chia bars - tasty, but hard to swallow as the chia seeds get stuck in your throat (induces coughing like you've got a hairball). The seeds also stick in your teeth making it hard to determine when you have a bug or when it's just a leftover seed. When other people look, they'll assume it's a bug.
• Savory Cliff meals in a pouch - had to try one out of curiosity. Not the worst thing I've ever had, but probably the worst food I've elected to carry on a bike.
• Nuun and GU Tabs (great for short rides, though!) - These are actually really good and we like them. But for long rides they're on the acidic side and your throat starts to sting after a while. They're also fizzy, so if you drink them before they're fully dissolved, it's a bit like drinking soda. If you're feeling a bit "off" already, it can put you over the top. Great flavor, though, especially watermelon GU tabs.
• Coconut water - we mistakenly took this on a long ride and it was about our undoing. Taste is too syrup-like and not enough electrolytes - would have been out for the count if we didn't have some EFS to chug at the next stop.

Post Ride and Recovery:

• Pemican is awesome (Drew's favorite) - fast and delicious protien, fat and salt.
• Chocolate milk (mixed as chocolate milk, not purchased. The store-bought chocolate milk is way too thick and slimy with the stuff they put in there).
• Kettle chips are AMAZING!
• St. Louis Ribs and Mac and Cheese from Buba's in Jackson :)
• Pretty much anything with salt, fat, and protein will do :)

There you have it! Months of testing done for you! So when the going gets tough, you can now confidently eat your way through it and on to victory!

Left-overs from the race. Variety is key - you don't know what you'll want until you want it... so it's best to be prepared!